Gadgets: Kodak M883

Sporting eight-megapixel resolution, the M883 is really slim and light at 166 grams, definitely a bonus.

By OFER ZEMACH
camera 224 (photo credit: Courtesy)
camera 224
(photo credit: Courtesy)
A camera that fits in your pocket can always be handy. You never know when you'll hit upon a moment that deserves to be captured forever. Designed to please the point-and-shoot photographers' brigade, the M883 is a digital zoom camera recently introduced here by Kodak. With a sleek design and all-metal body, this camera in the Kodak EasyShare M-Series line is loaded with an array of features that make picture-taking incredibly simple. All you need to do is choose auto mode and start clicking. Sporting eight-megapixel resolution, 3x optical zoom, and large three-inch LCD screen, the M883 is really slim and light at 166 grams, definitely a bonus. Instead of the usual big dial button found in cameras of this type you will find tiny buttons for each feature, and a separate five-way navigational joystick that gives direct access to the flash, macro mode, etc. The M883 has also high ISO settings that produce clearer pictures in low-light situations, and face-detection technology. The power and shutter release keys are on the top, and at the bottom you'll find a USB port and a lithium-Ion battery/SD card compartment. There aren't any manual controls here but you have a choice of 21 scene modes for just about every occasion, such as portrait, panorama, sport, landscape, sunset and candlelight. I must admit that I wasn't impressed by the pixel resolution of the display which was not clear even though it is at 230,000 pixels. Shooting at night wasn't impressive either, and when taking pictures in relatively low light conditions, I found myself looking for things to focus on for a long time. When zooming in to an object above the 3x optical zoom, the images appear a bit blurry and unfocused, but the quality is still better than that of most similar cameras. I liked the M833's metering system that allows you to focus on more than one object in the frame at the same time. I also found the well located slider button very useful as you can jump from "auto" to "scene" and "video" modes easily. Bottom line, Kodak's M883 is a good-quality camera presenting handful of modern technology features bundled in a size that can easily fit in your pocket. The M883 is available at Photoshop chain stores and other photo stores for NIS 1,249. ofer@jpost.com